MovieChat Forums > Marco Polo (2014) Discussion > So bad it's almost good?

So bad it's almost good?

posted 10 years ago by Nemoinslumberland
81 replies | jump to latest

I don't know where to begin with this show. What a disaster for Netflix. The painfully stiff dialogue, countless asian stereotypes and cliches, a vast sea of gratuitous female nudity beyond anything the Tudors ever aspired to, zero attractive men outside of Marco, and some genuinely BAD acting.

Why, at a reported budget of 90 million dollars could Netflix not afford to funnel part of that into a decent writing team?

Still. The budget shows in the sets, costumes, and atmosphere. The general plot-line is at least mildly interesting despite its convoluted presentation. Should I keep watching?

[–] footyfanatic420 10 years ago

its a show that has a conqueror who kept many concubines and had many wives, of course there is going to be nudity involving his concubines and others as well. it adds to the story and the acting was good.

[–] Nonobstant26 10 years ago

Funny because I was thinking to myself how the majority of the cast was gorgeous; this show provides for great eye candy, for males as well as for females.
I'm not going to bother comment on the rest of your post.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] tb-sch 10 years ago

Why, at a reported budget of 90 million dollars could Netflix not afford to funnel part of that into a decent writing team?

I guess the budget is in the way. Too many cooks. Everyone wants to water things down and try to make it more immediatly attractive.

GOT works so well because it is based on books which were written over several decades. An author basically gave his life to tell the story. There is one mastermind behind it and it is adapted for the screen in a smart way. The show is carved from this giant block of story.
Marco Polo is created from the scratch. Things can be added at every time. There is no need to stick to characters, they don't exist outside the show. There is not a single author who defines them and who has in mind what he needs them for three books ahead. Maybe the show could have worked, had they tried less hard to create an epic but instead gone for Gary Jenning's book and created something from that. At least it would have had direction and the character of Marco Polo would have had a function. The way it is, the show does not try to be about something. It is entirely random.

a vast sea of gratuitous female nudity

I don't mind the existence, it is just so horribly into the face. Scenes get randomly intercut with sex scenes, just to show them. If there is the option of showing a nude woman, they will go for it, no matter how irrelevant it is for the plot. Here once more GOT manages to achieve the same in a much smarter way - even the nude scenes reveal content and bring character or story forward. This is something Marco Polo achieves at no point.

[–] Dudrix 10 years ago

Probably largely missed the boat on this discussion, but anyway...

To those who have been put off the show in the first episode - you should really give it another chance. Yes, there is gratuitous nudity, but I really don't understand why that is a problem for some people to such a degree as this thread proves.

Yes, I totally agree, there is too much needless nudity, some of the scenes have absolutely no need for it at all. But, who cares? The story is still good (it gets better after episode 1/2), and for that 5% when there is nudity involved, the woman look great!

[–] !!!deleted!!! (52800787) 10 years ago

If there is the option of showing a nude woman, they will go for it, no matter how irrelevant it is for the plot.

Not true. There are even sex scenes where the girl is fully clothed, and others when they just cut to the couple cuddling in bed after the sex.

The first few episodes had more nudity. The last two didn't have any. It's a well-known marketing tool, to have more nudity at the beginning of a show, to draw in a specific segment of the audience.

This show significantly improves in the second half fo the first season.

[–] maratonrunner 9 years ago

not everything that happens need to have a purpose.
why does everything need to have a purpose?
sometimes showing a scene can just put the viewer in a certain mood.

[–] tb-sch 9 years ago

Indeed. We call that porn.

[–] maratonrunner 9 years ago

maybe but what is bad about including it in a show.
a movie producer can include what he want.

[–] tb-sch 9 years ago

Of course he can. And people can call him out for it. Which is exactly what happened in this thread.

[–] maratonrunner 9 years ago

I salute him for it.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] bruxellesfun 10 years ago

On the nudity, personally I don't care how debauched a civilization was. Nude scenes are useless, in most cases add absolutely jack squat to the story in general and are mere fudder to kill a few minutes, or to massage an episode into the required 43 minute length. If I wanna look at tits, I tell the missus daddy is horny or put on a porn. Even in great shows like Rome or Spartacus, the weekly sex scenes are yawn-inducing and obsolete for the most part.

[–] !!!deleted!!! (8778465) 9 years ago

i feel the same way about clothed-scenes. i dont care how civlized a civilization is if i want to look at clothes ill look in my closet. everytime i see someone wearing clothes i turn off the tv.

tell the missus daddy is horny? watch porn? this is supposed to be a joke right? no one wants to hear about you watching porn guy. i very much doubt people the world over are jacking off to 2-minute nude scenes as if that's what they're there for.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] YoureNotWorthy 10 years ago

zero attractive men outside of Marco

Log off the internet, clearly you've surpassed the point of insanity.